I am one of those crazy people that actually enjoys hot yoga. The ease of stretching my muscles, the detoxification, and the biggest benefit of all, it forces me to be in the present. I mean, how can you not? How could I possibly think of anything other than how I will make it through the class!?!  

All kidding aside, I really love the ritual of my yoga practice and the way my studio honors the room as our sacred space. We do not speak in the studio or bring in any outside distractions. Even on the days that I am rushing in with my hitchhiking to-do list, I know that as soon as I open that door and feel the heat hit my skin, I will exhale and bring myself present.

I recall a few years back arriving a bit out of sorts. I was feeling rushed and my list of responsibilities churning away. Wrapped up in those thoughts was a decent dose of negative self-talk coming from my inner voice, she was working hard to steal my peace trying to convince me that I didn’t even deserve to be at yoga, there was too much else that I should be doing. 

Then class began.

Inhale for one, two, three, four… hold… and exhale for one, two, three, four. 

With each deep inhale my negative self-talk slowly faded and I was able to focus on the present. I was exactly where I needed to be. My teacher then introduced the quote above from Lao Tzu. It struck me so deeply. What a simple yet profound statement. 

It really made me think of stories that I have subconsciously told myself time and again that I choose to keep believing. It is astounding how unaware we can be of how our thoughts can be negatively impacting our actions. 

We all experience negative thinking in our lives. Many of our negative thoughts stem from stories that may have served as a way to protect us, our ego or our sense of self. 

I know from much reflection that my inner voice suggesting that I shouldn’t be at yoga was supporting the story I have told myself from childhood. That inner voice was perpetuating my role in my family of origin: don’t cause undue trouble, stay out of the way, be helpful, be selfless, that is how you show your value and worth. 

Our negative thought patterns often persist way beyond our need to protect ourselves. It takes work to distance yourself from your thoughts and analyze whether or not they are actually true. As you read this, it may be easy for you to say, Annie, how can you care for others if you don’t put yourself first? It’s exercise, it’s just one hour, it’s for your health! Funny how hard it is to see it when you are so close to the memorized thought.

Personal growth is a wonderfully difficult thing to commit to and so rewarding! It is amazing what happens when you can distance yourself from a thought or feeling that has become negative and see that you no longer need to pay service to it.  

Humor me for a moment and imagine all the different fashions that have been en vogue since you were young? What if in 2024, you got up every day and pulled out the same parachute pants you had in the '80s to wear from your closet. 

What thoughts or beliefs do you still put on daily? How do they fit who you are today?

As you visualize this metaphor, compare it to an old belief you hold and you can begin to see how out of place some of our thoughts can be, no longer fitting who we have become yet still having an impact on how we show up every day.

Here is my challenge to you; Pay attention to what you are saying to yourself. See if you can catch yourself in a thought that gets you irritated, doesn’t feel right, or throws you into a bad mood. 

Maybe you are blaming someone else for something that has nothing to do with them? Pause when you find a thought that doesn’t sit right. There is a good chance that your negative thought is tied to a false belief you are choosing to carry around with you.

Find one thought that you can become aware of, bring it into the light.

What is that thought? What does it mean to you? How can you change that thought into its positive opposite?  

Write it down. 

How could flipping that thought to a positive change your words, your actions, your habits, etc.?

Forming new thoughts takes time and practice. Neuroplasticity is a term you hear often in the coaching field; the brain's ability to change and adapt due to experience. As stated by Canadian Psychologist, Donald Hebb, “cells that wire together, fire together.” Our magnificent brains are very efficient and always looking for the path of least resistance. For better or worse, our brain thinks that same thought, feels that same emotion and creates a habit that form our character. Just as we clean out our closets as fashions change, we could also benefit from clearing out old beliefs that don’t fit who we have become.

This requires conscientious awareness and I have a simple trick to help you become aware of the thoughts that you no longer want to believe.

We have all used the phrase, “It looks like someone got up on the wrong side of the bed.”  I like to think of every morning as an opportunity to make small resets to my life, no matter how we felt the day before.



Picture yourself just beginning to wake up, do you ever experience that disorienting feeling when for a brief moment you think to yourself; What time is it? What day is it? What do I have to do today?

I invite you to slow down at that moment, fight the urge to rub the sleep out of your eyes and jump out of bed and rush into your day just as you did the day before and the day before that. Instead allow yourself to lay there for just a few moments longer. 

Think about the new positive thought you came up with earlier. Practice gratitude, for your warm bed, for your comfortable pillow, for the roof over your head. Then invite the new positive thought in and be thankful for that thought as well. 

Taking just a few minutes to practice gratitude before you start your day helps change your perspective. Slow change over time, conscientiously shifting your thoughts to your new positive expression aids in how our cells wire and fire together. We all have the ability to decide our character and choose our destiny.